❓ Question regarding the McGowan government's support for the planning and development of lot 350 in Kalgoorlie and accusations of misleading comments about the industrial land development. The Minister's answer details progress and criticises political opponents.
AnsweredQoN 407Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOT 350 —
KALGOORLIE
407. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Lands:
My
question is to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum. I refer to the McGowan
Labor government's commitment —
Several members interjected.
Ms A.E. KENT : Sorry, my
question is to the Minister for Lands!
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment —
Several members interjected.
Ms A.E. KENT : It is the same
thing! We are doing fantastic work in that area!
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to creating regional
jobs and supporting regional businesses by helping facilitate the
development of industrial land.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how this government is supporting the planning and
development of lot 350 in Kalgoorlie?
(2) Can the minister
advise the house of anyone making misleading comments about the development of
this industrial land?
KALGOORLIE
407. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Lands:
My
question is to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum. I refer to the McGowan
Labor government's commitment —
Several members interjected.
Ms A.E. KENT : Sorry, my
question is to the Minister for Lands!
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment —
Several members interjected.
Ms A.E. KENT : It is the same
thing! We are doing fantastic work in that area!
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to creating regional
jobs and supporting regional businesses by helping facilitate the
development of industrial land.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how this government is supporting the planning and
development of lot 350 in Kalgoorlie?
(2) Can the minister
advise the house of anyone making misleading comments about the development of
this industrial land?
AnswerView source ↗
I thought the member for Kalgoorlie
had the disease of the opposition members when they ask questions of the wrong
minister, but I am glad the member got back on track!
The SPEAKER : Kalgoorlie is
obviously a mining town!
Dr A.D. BUTI : It is obviously
a mining town, I can understand!
Mr W.J. Johnston : And I am
her favourite minister!
Dr A.D. BUTI : That is right!
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for her question. I am very happy to report and advise the
house that there have been some crucial
steps made in the development of lot 350 in Kalgoorlie, and I thank the member
for Kalgoorlie for the role she has played since she was elected in March.
She is an outstanding member for Kalgoorlie. The progress has been excellent. I
was very, very surprised at some of the comments by a trio of embattled
individuals, the first being the embattled member for Mining and Pastoral
Region, Hon Neil Thomson; the second being the embattled City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder
CEO, John Walker; and the third being the so-called missing Leader of the
Liberal Party, the member for Cottesloe.
For the benefit of the rest of the
chamber, I will give members a quick history lesson, which I know the member
for Kalgoorlie is aware of, about what we have done to create job opportunities
in the member's region. It started with the state leasing lot 500 in
2017. I can understand why members might be confused about the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, because he has had a role to
play, as did the then Minister for Lands,
who is right in front of me. There has been a collective responsibility. As
members know, lot 500 is across the road from lot 350 and was to be for
a rare earth cracking and leaching plant that is currently awaiting
environmental approval for development that will bring 500 regional jobs in
construction and 100 ongoing local jobs. As the member for Kalgoorlie knows,
the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder failed to get traction for this project
for a number of years and the proposed development of lot 350 played out over
2020 and early 2021 until the March election with the member's
elevation as the new member for Kalgoorlie and the work that she put in on lot
350. As we know, EnergyOz has now moved on that project. I visited EnergyOz at that site when I visited lot
350 a couple of months ago. Following the recent election , we have
approved freehold transfer, undertaken a business case that is soon to be
considered by the board, granted early access to EnergyOz to do a site
investigation, and we are currently preparing the stage 1 subdivision
application. I am really surprised that on the Leader of the Opposition of the
Liberal Party's Facebook, he posted a number of photographs of himself
and the member for Mining and Pastoral Region Hon Neil Thomson around the goldfields
outside our projects that he is canning. I have a photograph of the member for
Cottesloe at lot 350.
Dr D.J. Honey : You don't
know your lots. That's lot 500.
Dr A.D. BUTI : No, this one is
lot 500. The Leader of the Opposition was there with Hon Neil Thomson and the
embattled CEO of Kalgoorlie–Boulder, John Walker.
Dr D.J. Honey : Are you
committing to the rail bypass?
Dr A.D. BUTI : Member for Cottesloe
—
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I be
clear that the photos you are holding up are actually of the Leader of the
Liberal Party, not the Leader of the Opposition?
Dr A.D. BUTI : Yes. I keep
forgetting that the Liberal Party is not the opposition party, with only two
members in the house. It is really hard to get used to the fact that we have a sectarian,
agrarian socialist party as the opposition of Western Australia. Sorry, I meant
the Leader of the Liberal Party, the member for Cottesloe.
As the member for Cottesloe knows,
we live in a COVID-19 pandemic situation. He also knows that we are the safest
jurisdiction in Australia. Why are we the safest jurisdiction in Australia? It
is because we have a Premier, a Deputy Premier,
a cabinet and a community that complies with the health advice of the Chief
Health Officer. We are a very compliant state. We comply with the requirement
to wear masks and we comply with social distancing.
Point of Order
Mr R.S.
LOVE : I question the relevance of this whole line of answer that we
are receiving from the minister. It does not seem to have any relevance
whatsoever to the question that was asked. I ask that you rule on the matter of
relevance, Madam Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I decide on points of order. It is my understanding that
the minister is making a rather lengthy analogy, which I ask him to draw to a conclusion
and maybe wind up his answer so that we have the opportunity for a couple more
questions to be asked before I close question time.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Dr A.D. BUTI : The member for
Kalgoorlie's question referred to misleading statements. Misleading the
public and treating the whole issue of COVID-19 compliance as a joke, Hon Neil
Thomson has a photo on Facebook of himself downplaying it and joking about not
putting a mask on properly. Will the Leader of the Liberal Party be like his
leader in New South Wales, who the Premier referred to as having no backbone
and who has caused a crisis for the rest of Australia? Is the member going to
censor Hon Neil Thomson? That is a disgraceful post. How can you stand there
and defend a situation like that? You are a joke, you lack a backbone and you
are only currently the Leader of the Liberal Party. Do you agree with that
post?
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you agree
with that post?
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you agree
with that post?
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you agree
with that post?
The SPEAKER : Thank you,
minister, I think you have made your point. I ask the Leader of the Liberal
Party for the next question.
had the disease of the opposition members when they ask questions of the wrong
minister, but I am glad the member got back on track!
The SPEAKER : Kalgoorlie is
obviously a mining town!
Dr A.D. BUTI : It is obviously
a mining town, I can understand!
Mr W.J. Johnston : And I am
her favourite minister!
Dr A.D. BUTI : That is right!
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for her question. I am very happy to report and advise the
house that there have been some crucial
steps made in the development of lot 350 in Kalgoorlie, and I thank the member
for Kalgoorlie for the role she has played since she was elected in March.
She is an outstanding member for Kalgoorlie. The progress has been excellent. I
was very, very surprised at some of the comments by a trio of embattled
individuals, the first being the embattled member for Mining and Pastoral
Region, Hon Neil Thomson; the second being the embattled City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder
CEO, John Walker; and the third being the so-called missing Leader of the
Liberal Party, the member for Cottesloe.
For the benefit of the rest of the
chamber, I will give members a quick history lesson, which I know the member
for Kalgoorlie is aware of, about what we have done to create job opportunities
in the member's region. It started with the state leasing lot 500 in
2017. I can understand why members might be confused about the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, because he has had a role to
play, as did the then Minister for Lands,
who is right in front of me. There has been a collective responsibility. As
members know, lot 500 is across the road from lot 350 and was to be for
a rare earth cracking and leaching plant that is currently awaiting
environmental approval for development that will bring 500 regional jobs in
construction and 100 ongoing local jobs. As the member for Kalgoorlie knows,
the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder failed to get traction for this project
for a number of years and the proposed development of lot 350 played out over
2020 and early 2021 until the March election with the member's
elevation as the new member for Kalgoorlie and the work that she put in on lot
350. As we know, EnergyOz has now moved on that project. I visited EnergyOz at that site when I visited lot
350 a couple of months ago. Following the recent election , we have
approved freehold transfer, undertaken a business case that is soon to be
considered by the board, granted early access to EnergyOz to do a site
investigation, and we are currently preparing the stage 1 subdivision
application. I am really surprised that on the Leader of the Opposition of the
Liberal Party's Facebook, he posted a number of photographs of himself
and the member for Mining and Pastoral Region Hon Neil Thomson around the goldfields
outside our projects that he is canning. I have a photograph of the member for
Cottesloe at lot 350.
Dr D.J. Honey : You don't
know your lots. That's lot 500.
Dr A.D. BUTI : No, this one is
lot 500. The Leader of the Opposition was there with Hon Neil Thomson and the
embattled CEO of Kalgoorlie–Boulder, John Walker.
Dr D.J. Honey : Are you
committing to the rail bypass?
Dr A.D. BUTI : Member for Cottesloe
—
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I be
clear that the photos you are holding up are actually of the Leader of the
Liberal Party, not the Leader of the Opposition?
Dr A.D. BUTI : Yes. I keep
forgetting that the Liberal Party is not the opposition party, with only two
members in the house. It is really hard to get used to the fact that we have a sectarian,
agrarian socialist party as the opposition of Western Australia. Sorry, I meant
the Leader of the Liberal Party, the member for Cottesloe.
As the member for Cottesloe knows,
we live in a COVID-19 pandemic situation. He also knows that we are the safest
jurisdiction in Australia. Why are we the safest jurisdiction in Australia? It
is because we have a Premier, a Deputy Premier,
a cabinet and a community that complies with the health advice of the Chief
Health Officer. We are a very compliant state. We comply with the requirement
to wear masks and we comply with social distancing.
Point of Order
Mr R.S.
LOVE : I question the relevance of this whole line of answer that we
are receiving from the minister. It does not seem to have any relevance
whatsoever to the question that was asked. I ask that you rule on the matter of
relevance, Madam Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I decide on points of order. It is my understanding that
the minister is making a rather lengthy analogy, which I ask him to draw to a conclusion
and maybe wind up his answer so that we have the opportunity for a couple more
questions to be asked before I close question time.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Dr A.D. BUTI : The member for
Kalgoorlie's question referred to misleading statements. Misleading the
public and treating the whole issue of COVID-19 compliance as a joke, Hon Neil
Thomson has a photo on Facebook of himself downplaying it and joking about not
putting a mask on properly. Will the Leader of the Liberal Party be like his
leader in New South Wales, who the Premier referred to as having no backbone
and who has caused a crisis for the rest of Australia? Is the member going to
censor Hon Neil Thomson? That is a disgraceful post. How can you stand there
and defend a situation like that? You are a joke, you lack a backbone and you
are only currently the Leader of the Liberal Party. Do you agree with that
post?
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you agree
with that post?
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you agree
with that post?
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you agree
with that post?
The SPEAKER : Thank you,
minister, I think you have made your point. I ask the Leader of the Liberal
Party for the next question.
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